4 years to make a real choice possible.
As Lebanese we proud ourselves in the country we have. We see it as the most beautiful country, with one of the most intelligent society, the most democratic in the region.. But let's face it, we live in a delusion.
Not only we lie to ourselves, but we are able to hide from the truth, the truth that we are manipulated, and that we know it and in a way can't escape it.

After a fierce battle for the parliamentary elections, where all side polarized the national scene. Where all the discussions were pure allegations and totally empty of any political program. Empty of any vision for the future. Even if in some exceptions, some parties printed a glossy program. We went to this election to voice our fears from each others, to voice our deep hatred of our other compatriots.

While chanting empty slogans of freedom, independence and sovereignty. While calling for the people to cast their votes. While waiting for the outcome to decide the new balance of power. During all that time, no one really had a real choice, we were only saying what we don't want. What we fear. What some told us of hidden agendas and malicious intentions.

Accusations were the only program, everyone is the enemy. We accuse some to be in a regional axis, while we are openly with another alliance. They know us, yes, our leaders know us, we march in masses against the other side. The other side we don't really know, we believe in whatever we are told. We want to win because we think that we belong to a side, and we think our side is the right side.

We never really thought what we really wanted.

We never really thought what we needed. We never really faced our fears, we never told the truth. because we do not really want it. We are comfortable in our own fears, at least it's clear; we have a leader and he thinks for us, and we follow them in whatever they do. We don't care about how much sense it makes. We have faith in them.

All theses tensions, all the people who died, all the lost opportunities, all the broken lives, nothing is really important; we can excuse them for anything. Because they are our leaders, they represent all our belongings, sectarian, political, social regional, cultural and national. They just need to tell us how to think and we do it.

After the poll results, they went back to recreate the political balance where they can save their share. To go back to business as usual, the enemy of yesterday is the ally to be. It's not because we are against dialogue or even political alliances. But one need to really know what we were looking for.

What should we disagree about?

Yes, what should we disagree about? we need to ask the right questions. What county do we want, is it safe to invest only in tourism? Should we reconsider our electrical dependence on fuel? Should we start searching for oil or gas? and so on..

Now we have 4 years.
4 new years to review our choices.
4 years to think about what choices we have.
4 years to discover that we were lied to.
4 years to encourage new thoughts.
4 years to fight the fear within us.

4 years to make a real choice possible.
And then one day to voice that choice.

So let's be sure we ask the right questions.


samer